Elastic-fluid turbine.



No. 807,003. PATENTED DEC. 12, 1905. G. WESTINGHOUSE. ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2.1905.

Fig.1

WITNESSES:

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELASTIC-FLUID TURBINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1'2, 1905.

Application filed May 2, 1905. Serial No. 258,483.

T0 01% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Elastic-Fluid Turbines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to elastic-fluid turbines. v

The stationary elements or stators of elastic-fluid turbines it has been found under certain conditions encountered during operation distort, and in turbines where the clearances between the free ends of the blades and vanes and the stator and rotor are small these distortions are liable to cause trouble.

To overcome the troubles incident to stator or rotor distortions has been an object of this invention.

The steam when it reaches the low-pressure end of steam-turbines is more or less saturated with water, and the throwing out of said water radially by the blades due to centrifugal force it has been found when using unshrouded blades causes a pitting or eating away of the stationary element or stator in line with the rows of rotor-blades; and a further object of this invention has been to provide in combination with the means for overcoming the troubles due to distortion means for overcoming this pitting or eating away of the stator.

These as well as other objects, which will readily appear to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains, I accomplish by means of the devices described in the specification and illustrated in the drawings accompanying this application and forming a part thereof and throughout which similar elements are denoted by like characters.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in end elevation ofanumber of rows of turbine blades and vanes the respective holding elements of which are equipped with this invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view, looking in the direction of the arrows, taken on the line A A in Fig. 1. Fig 8 is a view in end elevation of a single turbine blade or vane, as the case may be, secured to its holding element, which holding element is equipped with a modified form of the invention illustrated in the other two views.

In turbines of this class it is now common to provide the stators and rotors with annularlyextending circumferential channels or slots, into which the bases of the blades and vanes cure the same effect.

are inserted and there secured by means of calking or spacmg pieces. In carrying out this invention I employ an L-shaped member or angle-piece, one leg 4 of which lies within the blade or vane channel or slot and isplaced therein before the blades or vanes areinserted. The other leg 5, which stands a slight distance above the stator or rotor surface 6,

extends longitudinally of the turbine-axis past the free ends of the blades or vanes comprised in the adjacent annular row, as shown in the drawings. These members or pieces are preferably formed in short lengths and can be made to embrace any number of blades desired. The joints between the lengths are preferably lapped in order that no protruding end edgesrwill be presented. Instead of lapped joints, as shown in Fig. 2, the ends of the segments or pieces can be beveled to pro- By making the members or piecesin relatively short sections some degree of elasticity is obtained, and during distortions if the ends of blades or vanes do contact with the legs 5 of the members said legs will yield.

In Fig. 3 the leg 4 is provided with an anchoring-bead 7 preferably circular in crosssection, and one wall of the blade-channel is grooved to conform to the bead, and the blades and vanes are notched to conform thereto. This modified construction forms an excellent means for securing the blades or vanes within the slot. It will be understood that the calking or spacing pieces between the blades are likewise notched to conform to the head 7, and when this modified structure is used less calking is necessary than with the construction shown in Fig. 1.

The contact members or segments may be either formed of steel or brass or some metal alloy which will withstand the water thrown out thereagainst more readily than does the cast-iron of which the stators are generally constructed. When these contact-pieces are employed, the clearances maintained between these pieces and the blade or vane ends may be smaller than is generally allowable, for the reason that the pieces will more or less yield if contacted with.

Having thus described this invention, what I claim is 1. In combination with a turbine blade or vane holding element provided with an annution with the annular rows of rotor-blades and stator-vanes secured in channels or slots in the rotor and stator respectively, segmental clearance-determining rings secured in said slots and extending longitudinally of the turbins-axis beyondthe succeeding row of blades or vanes.

23. In an elastic-fluid turbine, in combination with the annular rows of unshrouded rotor-blades, a stator and yielding lining-rings for said stator in line with said rows of rotorblades. i

4. In an elastic-fluid turbine, in combination with the annular rows of unshrouded rotor-blades, a stator and yielding lining-rings for said stator in line with said rows of rotorblades and formed from metal adapted to resist the detrimental action of moisture thrown thereagainst.

5. In combination with annular rows of rotor-blades and stator-vanes of an elastic-fluid turbine, the roots of the blades and vanes of which are secured within annular channels in their respective holding elements, flexible clearance-pieces secured within said slots and formed so as to project below the successive row of blades or vanes as the case may be.

6. In combination'with annular rows of unshrouded rotor-blades and stator-vanes of an In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 24th day of April, 1905.

GEO. WESTINGHOUSE. Witnesses:

DAVID WILLIAMS, E. W. MoOALLIsTER. 

